EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
 EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORTED
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DAILY ACTIVITY REPORTFOOTNOTE: Â EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT Â information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Eagles drop the series opener with Oakland, 4-2
Eagles drop the series opener with Oakland, 4-2
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball lost the series opener with Oakland University, 4-2, Friday evening at the USI Baseball Field. The Screaming Eagles watch their record go to 5-8, while Oakland goes to 4-8.
After spotting the Golden Grizzles a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, USI grabbed a 2-1 lead on a pair of solo home runs by senior centerfielder Evan Kahre (Evansville, Indiana) and junior first baseman Tucker Ebest (Austin, Texas). Kahre led off the Eagles’ first inning with his first home run of the season, while Ebest led off the fourth inning with his team-best fourth of the year.
The score would remain in USI’s favor until the top of the seventh when the Grizzlies scored three times to re-take the lead, 4-2. The Eagles missed a chance to chip away at the deficit in the eighth, leaving the bags jammed, and in the ninth, leaving a runner on base.
USI sophomore right-hander Tyler Hutson (Villa Hills, Kentucky) took the hard luck loss for the Eagles after departing the game with the score tied, 2-2, and the eventual winning run on second. Hutson (1-2) allowed three runs on four hits and four walks in the start, while striking out a career-best seven in 6.1 innings of work.
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI and Oakland continue the three-game series Saturday with a 2 p.m. first pitch before concluding the set with a noon game Sunday.
Gov. Holcomb Makes Appointments to Various Boards and Commissions
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Gov. Holcomb Makes Appointments to Various Boards and Commissions INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric J. Holcomb today announced several appointments to various state boards and commissions. Civil Rights Commission The governor made one reappointment to the commission, who will serve until March 31, 2027:
Healthy Hoosiers Foundation The governor made seven reappointments to the foundation board, who will serve until December 31, 2025:
Indiana Public Retirement System Board of Trustees The governor made one new appointment to the board, who will serve until June 30, 2027:
Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission The governor made one reappointment to the full-time commission, who will serve until March 31, 2027:
Indiana War Memorials Commission The governor made one new appointment to the commission, who will serve until December 31, 2025:
Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology Board The governor made two reappointments to the board, who will serve until December 31, 2026:
The governor also made two new appointments to the board, who will serve until December 31, 2026:
State Employee Appeals Commission The governor made two new appointments to the commission:
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PROSECUTOR MOERS ANNOUNCES SECOND JURY TRIAL WIN OF THE WEEK AFTER BRANDON ARTIS IS FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER, ROBBERY, AND INTIMIDATION
Evansville, IN – Prosecutor Diana Moers announces that, on March 6–9, 2023, the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office successfully prosecuted Brandon Artis for shooting and killing his marijuana dealer and stealing his drugs and cash in front of a female civilian and her three children.
Trey McGillicuddy was a marijuana dealer who had recently started dealing with Artis. On August 27, 2022, Artis shot McGillicuddy at the latter’s residence in the presence of Sessily Bruner and her children. He then pointed his gun at Ms. Bruner and her daughter and demanded Ms. Bruner load up bags of marijuana or he would shoot the child. Artis took away the bags of marijuana, a satchel with cash in it, and other objects.
A search was conducted of Mr. Artis’ residence where the stolen items were found.A necklace with a pendant was found near the crime scene and looked identical to the one that Artis had worn.
The jury found the Defendant guilty of murder; one count of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 2 felony; one count of armed robbery, a Level 3 felony; one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Level 4 felony; and two counts of intimidation where the defendant drew or used a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony.
Artis waived his right to a jury trial on a felony firearm sentencing enhancement and a habitual offender sentencing enhancement, and those enhancements proceeded to a bench trial before the Honorable Robert J. Pigman. Judge Pigman is expected to issue a ruling prior to sentencing.
Prosecutor Moers thanked her Deputies, Jeremy Kemper and Audrey Beckerle, Detective Beitler, Mike Ward, and the entire EPD Street Crimes Unit for their exhaustive work on the case, and Jon Carter for their diligent efforts in this case. “We were able to remove another dangerous person off the streets because of careful and effective police work, coupled with a focused prosecution strategy,†stated Prosecutor Moers, “This serves as a strong warning to criminals that their unlawful actions will lead to severe consequences in Vanderburgh County.â€
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jeremy Kemper commented, “While I know this verdict will not bring back Trey, I hope it provides some measure of justice and closure to his family.â€
Sentencing is scheduled for April 12, 2023, in front of Judge Robert J. Pigman of the Vanderburgh Superior Court.
USI welcome Jamaal Barber, Artist
The University of Southern Indiana Art and Design Department and the College of Liberal Arts will welcome Jamaal Barber, artist, and printmaker, as presenter of the 2023 Sydney Berger Lecture. The lecture will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 16 in the USI Performance Center. The event is open to the public at no charge.
Barber will be on campus all week prior to his presentation, working with students in printmaking classes and performing portfolio reviews.
“Jamaal Barber is a printmaker, podcaster and professor who deals with identity and about all aspects of black life in contemporary American culture,†says Dr. Greg Blair, Assistant Professor of Art and Design and event organizer. “His lectures and workshops with our students will be a powerful and important experience for them as they develop their own voices as creative professionals.â€
Barber’s talk will explore the complexities of Blackness as an identity, as a cultural phenomenon and as the energy that connects the experiences of melanated people across time and space. Barber recently completed his MFA in Printmaking at Georgia State University. Before school, he worked as a full-time artist doing exhibitions and commissions for companies across the country. His work has been published by Twitter, The New York Times, Penguin Random House, Black Art in America and Emory University. Barber’s work has also been included in the Decatur Arts Festival, Atlanta Print Biennial Show Print Austin and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking.
For more information, visit USI.edu/berger.
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Founded in 1965, the University of Southern Indiana enrolls nearly 9,200 dual credit, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in more than 130 areas of study. A public higher education institution, located on a beautiful 1,400-acre campus in Evansville, Indiana, USI offers programs through the College of Liberal Arts, Romain College of Business, College of Nursing and Health Professions and the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education. The University offers study-abroad opportunities in more than 60 countries and hosts international students from around the globe. USI is a Carnegie Foundation Community Engaged University and offers continuing education and special programs to more than 15,000 participants annually through Outreach and Engagement. USI is online at USI.edu.Â
Indiana Destination Development Corporation Prepares to Launch Initiative, ‘Military Monuments and Museums in Indiana’
INDIANAPOLIS – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC) are preparing to launch a new initiative: ‘Military Monuments and Museums IN Indiana.’Â
| “The Military Monuments and Museums IN Indiana initiative is a comprehensive program that will cover war memorials, historical markers, museums, and other distinctive locations that showcase the rich military history of the great state of Indiana,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “This initiative is expected to create a network of information and experiential opportunities that will connect every part of the State.”
The expected launch date for the Military Monuments and Museums IN Indiana initiative is July 4, 2023. It will have a dedicated location on VisitIndiana.com where people can learn about Indiana’s military history and the numerous locations around the state that showcase it. |
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“We have a unique opportunity to spearhead a statewide program dedicated to educating and informing Hoosiers and visitors about the abundance of military history in Indiana,” said Elaine Bedel, IDDC Secretary and Chief Executive Officer. “We encourage you to participate in the Military Monuments, and Museums IN Indiana initiative after its launch to show your support.”
The IDDC is partnering with organizations throughout the state to help share the military history in Indiana including the Indiana National Guard, Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Historical Bureau, Indiana War Memorials, and more. The partnerships are a testament to Indiana’s shared commitment to the state’s military heritage. |
 On Feb. 24, 2023, Lt. Gov. Crouch and Bedel spoke at the Evansville Wartime Museum alongside Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke during a press conference to discuss and raise awareness for the importance of Indiana’s military history. Evansville was designated as one of 18 American World War II Heritage Cities by the National Parks Service in Dec. 2022. |
Evansville re-signs four, including two All-Stars
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters have re-signed Dakota Phillips, Parker Brahms, Jake Polancic and Brody Tanksley to return to Evansville for the 2023 season.
Phillips, a fan-favorite catcher out of Nacogdoches, Texas, enters his fourth season with the Otters. The 2022 season was cut short for Phillips due to a hand injury sustained in July. Phillips was named the 2022 West Division starting catcher for the Frontier League All-Star Game but was unable to play due to the injury. But, his .313 batting average in 2022 was the best of Phillips’ professional career. He has put together a .261 batting average across his three years with the Otters. In 178 games with Evansville, Phillips has acquired 39 doubles, 30 home runs and 114 RBI.
During his three seasons with Evansville, Phillips has split time at designated hitter, catcher and first base. Phillips has played for Evansville since the 2019 season but due to the cancellation of the 2020 Frontier League championship season (COVID-19), Phillips played with the Lightning Sloths of the Constellation Energy League in 2020. Phillips played collegiately at Tennessee Wesleyan for his senior season. With Tennessee Wesleyan, Phillips hit .353 with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs.
Brahms, from Sacramento, California, returns to the Otters’ pitching rotation after earning his shot at the next level last year. After starting the year with a 5-1 record and 2.55 ERA in his nine starts, Brahms’ contract was purchased by the Cincinnati Reds. In that span, he had 63 strikeouts in his 60 full innings. He was named a Frontier League All-Star in 2022 but did not participate due to his call-up to the Reds organization. While with the Reds’ Arizona Complex League team, Brahms played in seven games, mostly out of the bullpen. In his 16.2 innings with the Reds ACL squad, he allowed only five earned runs and struck out 22 batters.
Prior to joining the Otters, Brahms spent 2021 with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, signing as a free agent. He pitched for the rookie-level Pirates Black in the Florida Complex League and the Bradenton Marauders of the Low-A Southeast League. Brahms pitched collegiately for California State Sacramento, or Sacramento State, from 2017-2020. In college, he was 18-14 with a 3.15 ERA and 295 strikeouts. He made 52 starts in 58 appearances and pitched in 291.1 innings. Brahms was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 27th round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft, but decided to further his collegiate career. While at CSU Sacramento, Brahms earned All-WAC first-team honors in 2017 and 2018, while also receiving WAC Freshman of the Year accolades in 2017.
Polancic, a native of Langley, British Columbia, Canada, enters his second season with the Otters. He stood out as one of the Frontier League’s best relievers in 2022, allowing just 14 earned runs on 21 hits across his 37 appearances. In 48 complete innings, Polancic struck out 71 batters while walking only 20. His 2.63 ERA was one of the league’s best.
Before joining the Otters last year, Polancic played for the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association in 2021. Before 2021, Polancic spent four seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. The right-hander was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft. Polancic’s career totals include 105 appearances, a 5.09 ERA, 155.2 innings pitched, and 178 strikeouts.
Tanksley, who hails from Mitchell, Ind., is in his second season with the Otters. Despite spending much of the year as a rotational catcher, Tanksley stepped up for Evansville in mid-August when both Otters catchers were out with injuries. Across the six-game span as the only available catcher, Tanksley had three multi-hit games and the game-winning RBI against Joliet on August 12.
Prior to the Otters, Tanksley played collegiately for Indiana University-Southeast, where he played five seasons for the NAIA school. In those five seasons, he batted .340 with 90 runs, 56 doubles, nine triples, 36 home runs, 179 RBIs, and a total of 249 hits. He played in 215 games and recorded 733 at-bats.
The 2023 season is right around the corner. For information on season tickets, call 812-435-8686. Group and single-game tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks.
The Evansville Otters are the 2006 and 2016 Frontier League champions.